Thomas Boyd, The OregonianLaMarcus Aldridge will become a restricted free agent at the end of next season if he and the Blazers don't agree on a contract extension by Oct. 31.

Contract negotiations between the Trail Blazers and star forward LaMarcus Aldridge continue daily as the Oct. 31 deadline nears, but general manager Kevin Pritchard said it could take time and is a "complicated" process.

The biggest problem is neither side knows what the figure for maximum contracts will be because the league doesn't release that information until July 2010, when the league sets its salary cap and reveals the figure for basketball-related income (BRI).

When a player signs a maximum contract - like Blazers guard Brandon Roy did in August - the first year of his contract is approximately 25 percent of that year's BRI. The league typically releases those figures in the first week of July.

The league allows maximum contracts to be signed without designating the exact amount. If the two sides were to decide on less than a maximum deal, that would be trickier.

"We both understand LaMarcus' value," Pritchard said of the team and Arn Tellem, Aldridge's agent. "But getting that to correlate to the BRI is very complicated."

Because of the weak economy it is possible that the BRI will decrease next season.

Pritchard said the daily talks have been amicable and that the two sides "are in the same ballpark." The main holdup is basing negotiations on an unknown number like next year's BRI.

"But we are continuing to work at it," Pritchard said.

As players entering their fourth season, Aldridge and Roy this summer became eligible to negotiate a one-to-five year contract extension. The deadline for reaching a deal is Oct. 31. If there is not an agreement, Aldridge will become a restricted free agent after this season, which means the Blazers will have the right to match offers from other teams.

Earlier this summer, Aldridge said he was intent on signing a long-term deal with the Blazers.

Aldridge, 24, averaged a career-high 18.1 points last season while also averaging 7.5 rebounds and shooting 48.4 percent from the field. In the Blazers' first-round playoff series against Houston, he averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 49 percent.

Aldridge is scheduled to arrive in this weekend to begin training with teammates.

Notes: The Blazers continue to hold auditions for free agent big men, as power forward Melvin Ely and center Greg Ostertag took part in scrimmages this week at the team's practice facility in Tualatin. Pritchard said center Jarron Collins and former University of Iowa center Kurt Looby will soon be in. He said he is working on bringing in two other NBA free agents next week.